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TS3650 "Cab Forward" design

08-30-2003, 10:07 AM

One of the pains of a contractor saw is the motor hanging out the back, making the depth of the saw more than the 2 feet commonly available at the side of a garage, and deeper than fits through a doorway.

As I was looking at the details of the 3650, it mentioned a "cab forward" design, so the cabinet under the saw is closer to the user. Which sounds the same as the table being farther back. Perhaps far enough back that scraps won't drop into the motor mount hinge, and perhaps making the depth of the saw far more friendly.

If the quality is the same, this barely-mentioned feature might be the best change in the new saw. I may even have a used 3612 available, since the 3612 motor really raises havoc in my garage arrangement.

Charlie P,
Hate to disappoint, but it is not a cabinet saw. Look carefully at the picture http://www.ridgid.com/ridgidart/PT011.jpg you'll see the motor is still hanging out the back, and the blade throatpiece remains in the same position at the rear of the deck, where it needs to be for best use of the fence.
Don't unload the TS3612 just yet.

If it don\'t fit, force it. If it breaks, \'needed fixin\' anyhow. 8{~

Comment

Yea, I was also tricked the first read of the description. I think it's something you'll have to see in person. Also, for the fun of it, see what the depth of your current table/wings are and check against the 3650 specs----one way to achieve a "cab forward" design is to shorten the top depth.!

Dave

Comment

Yes, it is still a contractor saw with the motor hanging out the back. But it looks like the same blade guard, rails, and rip fence (they were Ridgid design, not inherited from Sears), so it hopefully kept the good parts.

As I look at my 3612 it seems like the motor mount could be shorter (why not, while we are designing for a TEFC motor). And the table might fit farther back on the base. So maybe, just maybe, the overall depth will be less without sacrificing table depth.

It seems ironic that the "good" saws are either cabinet saws (heavy to roll around a garage or get into a basement) or contractor saws that don't fit in most garages or through normal doorways.

Comment

Yup, look at a DeWalt 746 or Jet Supersaw some time for the better solution. The motors hang underneath the cradle, in approximately the same orientation as a cabinet saw's motor.

Both saws a fair amount more expensive than a regular contractor's saw like a Ridgid. I don't know if this is purely because they are relatively new designs that have tooling that needs to be paid for, or if they intrinsically are more expensive designs.